


Don't Care to Know Your Name

by bakerblake



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), And a little bit of angst, Canon Universe, Clubbing, Drinking, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, S O thirsty, marinette is thirsty, partial reveal, the kids mess up, there's fluff, they are at least 18, they kiss a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-09-16 22:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9292022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakerblake/pseuds/bakerblake
Summary: Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, or someone you're afraid to love- - - -It is the last day of the year.All Marinette needs is a little bit of alcohol in order to be honest with herself and to open up her heart to her partner.Needless to say, it doesn't end well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

In the dark of the club Marinette walked confidently, her red dress twirling. On her face she had a homemade Ladybug mask.

Everyone was looking at her. It was no surprise, Ladybug was famous after all, she turned heads wherever she went. Some even stopped dancing just to stare at her. It only made the corners of Marinette's mouth quirk up.

The club was crowded because it was the last day of the year – and also because it was Chloé's birthday. The girl had basically invited every single person she knew, including Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Excluding Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

At first, Marinette had decided that she would not attend at all. Chloé had invited Ladybug but not her, so it would serve the birthday girl right if Ladybug didn't show up either. It would be a pang to Chloé's pride and Marinette would get her revenge. Besides, she knew that Adrien was not coming and that automatically meant that the party would suck.

However, she did know that _Chat Noir_ was coming. The cat himself had told her that after the latest akuma attack, praying that she would come, too. Otherwise he would apparently ”die of boredom”.

So, there she was, at Chloé's party, trying to find her partner. Tikki was in her purse in case of emergency; someone drunk enough might decide that it was time to take off Ladybug's mask and see who was underneath it. Marinette was dressed in an ordinary dress and the only thing hiding her identity was the red mask she had made a few hours earlier. (Thank god that Alya had decided not to come.)

It was a wonder she had not run into Chloé yet. By now the girl must have heard that Ladybug was in the club.

Then, finally, she spotted him at the bar. It had to be him, she'd know that back anywhere... or at least that was what she wanted to believe.

Grinning, she sat on the bar stool next to her partner, startling him. Marinette chuckled, watching how his eyes widened when he turned to look at her.

”Ladybug!” Chat Noir exclaimed, almost dropping his drink. ”You came!”

”Good to see you, too.” She smiled and eyed her partner. He was not wearing his superhero costume but was still dressed head to toe in black. He looked nice in the black suit, but it might have been a bit too much. No doubt Chloé was wearing something expensive, but this really wasn't a fancy event. While others were wearing casual t-shirts and short dresses, Chat Noir looked like he was ready for the red carpet.

The biggest difference, however, could be found on his face. Half of Chat's face was hidden by a homemade mask – just like hers – but he didn't look like himself at all. Marinette knew that her appearance was pretty much the same whether she was Ladybug or herself. Chat's miraculous apparently changed him a lot more than she had originally thought.

First of all, his eyes weren't cat-like. Marinette was surprised that the little detail could change him so drastically. The colour of his eyes was still green but it wasn't as vibrant or bright as it usually was. The sight was so strange and different that it almost made her frown.

Secondly, she couldn't believe how stylish his hair looked, it was far from the crazy mop Marinette was used to. As much as she liked his messy hair she had to admit that this hairstyle looked good on him, too.

On top of all that he didn't have cat ears, which was a nice plus. Overall her partner looked... surprisingly normal.

”Wow, Chat Noir, you look good”, she complimented truthfully, mouth opening in awe.

Her partner blushed madly under the mask. He rarely turned so red that she could actually see it.

”Thank you, Ladybug. You look good, too. Amazing, actually! I mean, you always look great but, uh... th-the dress is nice...”

Marinette let out a small laugh before twirling to show off her new dress. ”Thanks, I made it myself.”

Chat blinked.

”You did?” He gaped, the blush slowly disappearing from his face. ”Wow, is there anything Ladybug can't do?”

A sly smirk spread across her face. She leaned closer and playfully tapped him on the nose, hoping it would make him blush again.

”I'm sure you'd like to know”, she said, winking.

Chat blinked at her again. Then he grinned happily. He leaned forward, too, until their foreheads almost touched. Marinette looked deep into his human eyes.

”Oh, I most definitely would love to know more about you”, was his reply. She noticed how his eyes twinkled.

Marinette pouted. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. He wasn't blushing.

Ignoring his grin, she looked around, frowning. ”Anyway, have you seen the birthday girl? I couldn't find her anywhere.”

Pink spread across Chat's cheeks for some reason, and Marinette narrowed her eyes. Oh, now he decided to blush again?

”I, uh. Well, yes, I have.” Chat cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting in his chair. ”I went to see her right away when I got here so that I could, you know, wish her a happy birthday and thank her for the invitation. She's, uh, in the VIP lounge...”

Marinette nodded and got up to leave, but Chat's next words stopped her.

”...making out with a girl.”

Marinette froze immediately. She grimaced.

”Sorry, what?” She turned back to her partner, slowly like a robot.

Chat shrugged. ”I was unfortunate enough to interrupt them”, he said and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. ”You might not want to do the same.”

Marinette's brain worked unusually slow. Chloé's caked face, conceited smile and ugly lipstick flashed through her mind. She shuddered. That girl – whoever she was – had poor taste in women. Was she blind? She had to be, Marinette reasoned.

”Are you really telling me that _Chloé Bourgeois_ found someone who is attracted to her? Seriously? Someone actually, _willingly_ kissed her on the lips? Are you sure we're talking about the same Chloé?”

Chat avoided eye contact with her but hummed in response. ”It looked pretty heated.”

Marinette gagged.

”In that case...” She stuck her tongue out and sat back down. Chat Noir let out a short laugh when she shook her head lightly. Chloé making out with someone... well, that was an image she wanted to get out of her head as soon as possible.

”I need a drink.” She sighed. ”Something strong.”

Chat flashed her a bright smile and patted her back. ”I could tell you a cat pun or two, I'm sure it would improve your mood.”

Marinette groaned. ”No, thanks”, she declined and raised a finger to call the bartender.

Unfortunately, nothing could stop Chat's big mouth, not even her pained expression worked on him. But after each drink, his jokes actually got funnier and funnier to her. The dumber they were the more she laughed. The alcohol had clearly started to work its magic.

”What did the old pirate cat say on his 80th birthday? _'Aye matey'_.”

Almost spilling her drink, Marinette snorted loudly, and Chat burst out laughing. They both giggled like idiots.

Chat looked extremely pleased with himself. Finally he had managed to entertain his lady with his lame puns and jokes. But when she all of a sudden winked and smirked at him, he was left speechless. Was _she_ actually flirting with _him_ this time and not the other way around? To say that Chat Noir was shocked by her behavior would be an understatement. However, after a couple of drinks he, too, started to get used to her winks. Chat had been a huge flirt ever since he developed feelings for his partner so this was a nice change. His heart was dancing excitedly in his chest.

So, after one too many drinks, Chat tilted his head to one side, a hopeful smile playing on his lips. ”Dance with me?”

He didn't need to ask twice. With a big smile, Marinette instantly got up from her seat, grabbed his hand and led them to the dance floor. Chat Noir's eyes shone behind the mask when she placed her hand in his. He was starting to look more and more like himself instead of the stylish prince she knew he wasn't. Besides, Chat's puns were exceptionally bad, princes were supposed to be sophisticated, like Adrien.

Marinette let Chat spin her around and her red dress moved as if it was alive. She felt like a ballerina. They were both all grins.

She found out that Chat Noir was an excellent dancer, which honestly surprised her. Who would have known? Chat moved elegantly, it was like his eyes were dancing, too. Even when she squished his foot under her own, he just smiled brightly at her and continued as if nothing happened. Chat was sure-footed on the dance floor even though he was a little drunk. Marinette wondered if he was a dancer in real life.

The music was loud as thunder and it felt like a drug in her veins. They swirled around again and again, and the rest of the world seemed to disappear. They moved with the music, danced like it was their last night on earth. They laughed and grinned and joked and Marinette loved every minute, every second of it. They became one with the music and one with each other.

Their dance could be described as flawless. Everything they did was in perfect sync, they were Ladybug and Chat Noir after all. The warmth between them was almost overwhelming and it seemed to grow more powerful by the second. Marinette welcomed the feeling, closing her eyes for a moment as Chat spun her around once again. She felt so alive that she was sure her skin was glowing.

When it was her turn to spin Chat, she noticed how he was avoiding her eyes, a tiny blush covering his cheeks. Her eyebrows drew together. She spun him anyway.

Chat placed his hand back on her waist.

”What's wrong?” Marinette asked when he still refused to meet her gaze. She wasn't used to seeing her partner this way. So... shy?

”Cat got your tongue?”

At that he finally raised his head to look at her. A set of emotions flashed in his green eyes, but Marinette didn't have time to catch any of them. She had no idea what he was thinking, which was very unusual. He was her partner, it was her job to know what was going on inside his head. It made her a little uneasy.

They stopped dancing and Chat ran his fingers through his hair, chuckling nervously. His other hand still rested on her waist.

”Nothing's wrong. It's just...” he hesitated, turning his gaze to the dance floor again. ”You're so _close_.”

There was a pause.

Marinette blinked, surprised. Suddenly she was very aware of how their chests were touching and their breaths mingling. She took a step back immediately. The last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

”Sorry”, she apologized, embarrassed. She hoped he couldn't see the slight blush that was quickly dusting her cheeks. ”Do you want to stop? I can go if you're –”

”No!” he cut in quickly, sounding almost desperate. His hold on her waist tightened.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

Chat swallowed. ”I-I don't mind. That you're close. It's nice. Really nice, actually.”

Marinette had to bite her lip to prevent herself from laughing. She took a step closer to him again, this time intertwining her fingers with his. Her heart jumped in her chest at the contact and Marinette cursed under her breath. She had held Chat's hand plenty of times before, it shouldn't have made her heart smile like that.

They were so close that she could feel his warm breath on her forehead. Marinette raised her gaze from their intertwined hands and almost gasped. Chat was looking down at her with absolute adoration and devotion in his eyes. This time her heart tried to jump _out_ of her chest.

No, Marinette thought as her eyes widened, he wasn't supposed to have feelings for her anymore. Marinette had hoped that after all these years Chat would have moved on, but now she saw that he still cared for her deeply.

And to her horror she realized that she was glad he did.

Finally they started to move with the music again, slowly. Marinette's gaze automatically drifted from his beautiful eyes to his lovely lips. The alcohol was making her head spin.

”Can I kiss you?” she blurted out before her brain could fully comprehend what she was saying. The second the words escaped her lips, Marinette slapped a hand over her mouth. The question made Chat freeze so suddenly that she accidentally stepped on his feet. She uttered an apology, but Chat didn't make a sound. He just stared at her and gaped openly, unable to process what he had just heard.

When Marinette realized that he was not going to say anything, she decided to just go with it and see how he would react. After all, he wasn't saying no, so...

Her lips approached his. She made sure to give Chat enough time to pull away, but when he didn't, she grabbed the collar of his fancy suit, pulled him down and pressed their lips together. She could feel how Chat immediately tensed at the closeness.

To be honest, Marinette wasn't sure what she expected. Chat's lips didn't evoke any fireworks or explosions or heavenly choirs like she had always imagined that Adrien's lips would. Maybe she expected regret, proof that she and Chat were just friends, proof that she would never love her partner romantically.

What she got instead was _warmth_ , and that was ten times better than fireworks. _Safe_ was the word that came to her mind. She didn't regret this at all.

The kiss barely lasted two seconds before Marinette pulled away, her lips tingling. Then she went straight back for more, craving for the warmth that his soft lips could give her.

This time Chat kissed her back, maybe a little nervously, his slightly shaking hands moving from her waist to her back. Slowly, his body started to relax and eventually he followed her lead.

They were partners and it showed. Their lips were in sync, _everything_ was always in sync. The warmth of his body, the delicate touches of his hands, the pressure of his gentle lips, it all made her melt. Hunger slipped into their kiss, which only caused her to press harder. His skin was burning hers.

They shouldn't be doing this. This would ruin their partnership. She should pull away and apologize. _He_ should tell her to stop.

None of those things happened. They kept going and it felt good, so damn good. Marinette enjoyed kissing Chat Noir so much that she was embarrassed to admit it. Why had she avoided this again?

Marinette swallowed a moan that wasn't hers and finally pulled away from him. Her breath came out in short pants, mimicking Chat Noir's own shallow breathing. Without letting go of his collar, she studied his expression carefully, ready to take a step back if he showed even the slightest bit of discomfort.

Chat didn't look uncomfortable. His cheeks were flushed, and his pupils were dilated and darkened with something.

Marinette almost gulped.

Desire, she recognized. His eyes were hazy with desire. Not what she had expected to see, but... well, if she was completely honest, she wasn't disappointed. The best part was that _she_ had put that look on his face, her lipstick had made his lips that red, her kisses had made him gasp for air.

Marinette let her eyes move freely over his body, making Chat's blush deepen. Their eyes met. A funny feeling grew in her stomach.

Marinette captured his lips again before she had time to regret it. Chat made a small sound of surprise but kissed her back. He caught her bottom lip between his own and Marinette let herself sigh against his mouth, feeling safe.

She moved to nip at his neck. Her superhero partner gasped and instinctively tilted his head back to give her better access. He buried his hands in her hair, tugging gently as his eyes closed.

The small noises he made and the way his body reacted to her touch only made her want to kiss him more. Her hips lightly pressed to his and a slight groan escaped from deep within his throat. Marinette would have never thought that Chat Noir's voice could affect her this much. She loved every little sound he made with his pretty lips.

She loved how her touch affected him, but she was scared of how he affected her.

Marinette moved back to his mouth and pulled gently on his lower lip before breaking the kiss. Chat opened his eyes slowly, like he had just woken up from a very deep dream, and Marinette momentarily lost herself in the depth of his green. It had always been written in their gaze, the chemistry they had shared from the very beginning, she understood that now. And when Chat exhaled shakily, Marinette's head suddenly filled with thoughts of a darkened room and a king sized bed. The night was still young and she wanted to leave.

The sober part of her brain instantly warned her, flashing red, but she didn't listen.

She leaned forward and bit Chat's earlobe gently. The boy shuddered.

”A-are you trying to seduce me, my lady?” He laughed, sounding a bit breathless. Chat rested his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath. They were so close that she could feel his wild heartbeat.

”Mm”, she hummed in response. The thickness of her voice surprised her. ”I think we should start a love affair.”

Chat nearly choked on air. He pulled away from her quickly, eyes wide. Marinette could almost see how his mind was in flames, smoke coming out of his ears. He looked like he was about to pass out.

Marinette held back a giggle. Poor boy.

Ten seconds passed as she waited for Chat's reply. Then twenty. Thirty...

Everyone around them was either screaming or dancing, but Chat had seemed to lost his ability to speak or move. He just stared at her in shock, which made Marinette extremely nervous. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to look at the floor.

Suddenly, Tikki snapped her purse open. The tiny kwami glared at her with narrowed eyes, but Marinette just stuck her tongue out, snapped the purse shut and ignored her.

”There are, um, rooms upstares”, she mumbled and gestured lamely at the exit. ”We're the heroes of this city, I'm sure they'll give us one for free if we ask nicely.”

Her partner swallowed thickly and finally opened his mouth. ”Ladybug...”

Marinette waited for him to continue, but no words came. She could only imagine how much internal struggle he was going through at the moment.

”So, what do you say?” she tried again as she played with her hair. ”I-I get it if you don't want to.”

Painfully slowly, Chat forced his mouth open again, and Marinette held her breath.

”Are... are you _serious_?” he squeaked in disbelief. ”Ladybug, you... You're not joking, are you?”

”I... I'm not”, she replied.

And when she turned around and walked out of the room, he followed.

 

***

 

Once the door was locked she didn't hesitate to pull him down and capture his lips once again. Her hands found his hair, her fingers ruffling it to make him look more like Chat Noir. She practically ripped the expensive jacket off him next.

Chat tensed a little.

”Wait, wait.” He broke the kiss and put his hands on her shoulders. ”My kwami is hiding in my pocket.”

”Oh, right”, Marinette mumbled and took a deep breath. ”Okay, just a second, my kwami... She's... Um, do you think the bathroom is a good place for my purse?”

Chat nodded and Marinette tried not to think about Tikki's accusing eyes.

The bathroom door shut with a quiet hiss. Chat bit his lower lip, Marinette bit the inside of her cheek. There was an awkward pause. Neither of them was sure what to do next so they just stared at each other. Laughing nervously, Chat shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers while Marinette smiled clumsily.

After a while though the silence became too much for her, they were wasting time. Marinette groaned inwardly.

”Oh, come on, Chat”, she sighed but offered him a tender smile. ”Come here.”

He approached her slowly, one step at a time. His green eyes twinkled in the dark.

”Kiss me”, she whispered when he was finally close enough, their chests almost touching.

He did as he was told.

The kiss was different this time; it was much softer and sweeter and gentler, but still warm, so warm. Chat took his time, his hands were hanging down by his sides, relaxed, as he solely focused on her lips. Their mouths moved carefully, exploring. For once the superheroes were not in a hurry.

It gave Marinette a chance to use all of her senses. She closed her eyes, letting Chat's soft lips fill her mind. She could taste a little bit of alcohol, a little bit of croissants. He smelled of expensive perfume and... cheese? The scent was still surprisingly sweet.

Kind of like Adrien.

Chat broke the kiss at the exact same time as her eyes flew open. At first she thought he had sensed her panic, but turned out he just pulled back to breathe. Chat drew in a lungful of air and smiled fondly at her, making her heart swell. She was conflicted.

He took a few steps back, savouring the moment and the sight in front of him with half-lidded eyes. Her swollen lips. Her loose hair. The way the moonlight made her skin shimmer.

Chat raised the palm of his hand to his forehead before running it through his hair.

”If this is a dream, don't wake me up”, he murmured quietly, so quietly that Marinette was sure he was talking to himself. She covered a tiny giggle with her hand, deciding that now was not the time to think about Adrien or the ache in her chest. This was about _them_ , about Ladybug and Chat Noir.

”Kitty”, she purred affectionately and watched how Chat inhaled sharply at the word. He swallowed visibly and Marinette couldn't help her grin.

Teasingly, she leaned forward and clasped her hands behind her back. ”Do you like that nickname?”

Chat barely managed to nod. ”And the way you said it.”

Marinette snorted with laughter. ”You're ridiculous.”

Chat looked taken aback by her words, maybe a little offended. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted like a little kid.

Amused, Marinette shook her head and walked to him, studying his expression closely. It was like a secret was hidden underneath it, but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Blond hair, beautiful sunshine smile, spring green eyes... This wasn't the first time that Chat Noir reminded her of someone else.

Marinette laughed at her own thoughts.

Yeah, yeah, if only...

Carefully, she took his hand and brought it close to her mouth. Chat's breath hitched in his throat, eyes threatening to fall out of his head when he realized what she was about to do. When her lips touched his knuckles the boy nearly fainted, his heart stopping for a moment. The kiss lasted several seconds, Marinette knew she looked smug.

”Kitty?” she murmured against his skin, never breaking eye contact with him. She acted like she didn't know how this affected him.

It was a full minute before Chat snapped out of it.

”My lady”, he breathed. Desperately he pulled her closer, his trembling fingers ached to roam up and down her body. Their lips met once again and Chat immediately gave a long, low sound of pleasure. Marinette smiled against his lips.

She closed her eyes and, for a moment, she got lost in her imagination. Just for a moment she could pretend that instead of her superhero partner she was actually kissing Adrien Agreste. After so many years of unrequited love she was finally touching the sweet and kind Adrien, who had stolen her heart over four years ago. Adrien Agreste, who had never fully given her her heart back.

Keeping her eyes closed, Marinette pulled away and cupped Adrien's face, caressing his soft cheeks. She moved to touch his lips with her thumb and noticed how his mouth was slightly open as he breathed heavily. She smiled. Her heart felt light.

Then her fingers found the mask.

Her brows drew together.

No, this was not Adrien.

This was...

”Chat”, Marinette said almost breathlessly when she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was her partner's curious green eyes that stared back at her. She shook her head slightly when he raised an eyebrow.

Smiling fondly, she took in his cheekbones, the tiny blush on his face, his beautiful heart. Chat swallowed and her smile only grew. There was something about the vulnerable look on his face that she really liked. There was something about her that melted his confidence to nothing at all whenever she got closer than usual. In return, he made her body light up with joy, he breathed life and hope into her when no one else could.

Suddenly Marinette realized that she would not trade the boy in front of her for anyone else in the world, not even for Adrien Agreste. Chat was way too important to her, he was the only one who mattered at the moment.

Chat looked at her with dreamy eyes that were filled with so much love it made Marinette gulp. She knew he loved her with his eyes more than his body ever could.

She gave him a soft peck on the lips. Then another. And another.

Chat's eyes were closed when she pulled back the third time. He looked peaceful.

Marinette couldn't help it, she giggled for some reason, a strange kind of happiness bubbling inside her. Her laughter made him open his eyes, too, and when their gazes locked, Marinette felt giddy. Chat was looking at her the way she had seen him look at the stars at night; eyes shining and a small smile playing on his lips. She was quite sure she was looking at him the same way.

”What is it?” he asked, unable to contain his bright smile.

Marinette giggled again. ”I just can't believe it's _you_.”

Chat chuckled, too, but his eyes revealed that he was confused.

”Yeah, it's me.” He nodded, smiling somewhat shyly. ”Glad to know that makes you happy.”

Marinette's grin faltered. His words hung in the air.

_Glad to know that makes you happy._

_Glad to know that_ **_I_ ** _can make you happy._

Chat cleared his throat when he saw the startled look on her face.

”I-I mean, is there anything else that I could do that would make my lady happy?” he attempted to lighten the mood with a nervous grin. Luckily for him, it seemed to work.

The sound Marinette made was as close to a sigh as it was to a chuckle. Annoyed and amused at the same time.

”Well, you could always kiss me.”

He wasted no time, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. He flashed her one of his charming smiles, but Marinette just wrinkled up her nose in response and pulled away.

”Really?” She almost rolled her eyes. ”Do you think _now_ is the time to act all cute?”

Chat blinked, eyes suddenly dumbfounded. A few seconds went by in complete silence. It was Marinette's time to raise an eyebrow.

”You...” he started, voice quiet. ”You think I'm cute?”

Then, albeit slowly, his face broke into one of the happiest grins Marinette had ever seen. She could feel how her heart jumped violently in her chest, it was like she was watching a shooting star.

_Damn._

”You think I'm cute”, he repeated. This time it was a statement, not a question.

In denial, she shook her head furiously.

”You do!” Chat laughed happily and pumped his fists in the air. ”I knew it!”

As he cheered, Marinette huffed loudly and rubbed her temples. She bit her lower lip for a moment before slamming her partner against the wall without warning. The boy let out a surprised yelp, but she rose on her toes and pressed a finger to his lips before he could say anything. Their noses brushed.

”More kissing, less talking, kitty”, she said against his lips and closed the tiny gap between them. She tried to drown her embarrassment, she didn't want to think about the fact that Chat truly was cute.

The kiss was short and when they broke away, Chat was still beaming.

”You think I'm _cute_ ”, he whispered again, happiness bubbling through his words.

Marinette groaned, frustrated. She pushed Chat towards the bed and he stumbled, his back pressed against the bed. His breaths quickened when she reached for his blouse. Marinette noticed her partner's hesitation when he chewed on the inside of his cheek, like he was nervous.

She pulled back and looked at him with eyes full of concern.

”Chat”, she started in a tone so gentle that it made his heart skip a beat. Ladybug rarely sounded that sweet. ”Are you sure you want this? Tell me immediately if you want to stop.”

Tilting his head, he frowned a little. Slowly, very slowly, he opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. Forming sentences that made sense was extremely hard at the moment.

”Do... Do _I_ want to stop?” he asked at last, clearly surprised by her words. He might have been nervous, but that didn't mean he would say no to Ladybug when she offered to spend the night with him. Mostly he was nervous because he was still love in with her even though he knew she didn't return his feelings.

”Are _you_ sure you want this, my lady?”

Marinette considered his words. The truth was that they were both a little drunk, drunk enough that it impaired their judgement. Neither of them was thinking straight. Most likely this was a really, _really_ bad idea, but he wasn't pushing her away or telling her to stop.

Chat didn't want to stop.

And when she didn't protest either, he pressed his lips against her neck, finding her pulse and kissing it. Marinette let out an involuntarily loud moan.

Yep, she definitely wanted this.

She frowned when his mouth left her skin all of a sudden. He looked at her, blinking several times before a proud grin spread across his lips as his whole face lit up. Chat's eyes were sparkling mischievously, the smile reaching his ears.

The brilliant smile was messing with her head, making her cheeks turn pink. He had better put those cute lips to use very soon or she would be forced to wipe that smirk off his face with her own lips.

”Hey, are you going to just stare at me like that the whole night?” she asked, a little annoyed.

His body moved a little closer to her, the grin frozen on his face.

”Sorry”, he said and beamed at her. ”That was just the best sound I've ever heard you make.”

Marinette's cheeks instantly turned from pink to bright red as her heart fluttered. She cursed in her mind. Now was not the time for this. But as much as she hated to admit it, there she was, undressing her superhero partner and kissing him senseless, their masks still in place.

So, perhaps...

 

 

...maybe...

 

 

...just _maybe_ she had feelings for him.

Marinette pushed the thoughts firmly to the back of her mind. In any case, she was not going to back out now.

Chat licked his lips, grabbed her hand and yanked her to be on top of him. Marinette yelped a little when his teeth closed around her ear. As payback, she leaned down to kiss his neck before he could smirk again and ran her hands all over his body, slowing at certain parts. She was making him wait and it looked like he could hardly bear it. She liked how he squirmed.

”Ladybug...” He couldn't stop his voice from having a small whine to it. The kitty was a gasping disaster. ”Please...”

All of Marinette's thoughts came to an abrupt stop when the word escaped his lips. Her mind was blank. Empty. Engine shutdown. Goodbye, common sense.

In that moment, all thoughts of future melted away as the rest of the world became an unimportant blur to her. For once she didn't think about Adrien at all or how this could ruin everything. All that mattered was to hear Chat's frantic moans.

Marinette's mind was repeating a specific word over and over. Her body was doing the same, just more desperately.

Chat.

 _Chat_ , _Chat_ , _Chat_.

It turned out that he was actually her catnip.

 

***

 

Marinette opened her eyes slowly, still extremely sleepy. Her muscles felt weak, everything was a little blurry. The room was dimly lit but she could tell it was already daytime.

Ignoring the sun, she closed her eyes again. Her friends or family didn't need her right now and Paris could survive a few hours without Ladybug. She was so tired...

”Marinette!” came a familiar high-pitched voice. Before Marinette could protest, Tikki put the lights on, looking extremely angry.

Marinette groaned loudly the moment the bright light touched her sensitive eyes. She buried her face into the pillow, annoyed.

”Marinette”, Tikki said more sharply this time, her tiny hands on her hips. ”Don't you dare fall asleep again.”

The girl mumbled something incoherent and forced herself to sit up. She squinted, eyelids heavy. The room was spinning, her head hurt. She felt like the morning after a drunk one night stand.

Oh, wait.

Tikki looked like she was screaming internally.

”Get up”, the kwami said, still glaring. ”Chat Noir has already left.”

Marinette straightened her back immediately.

” _What?_ ” she screeched, voice hoarse, and quickly turned her head. Her stomach flipped instantly. The the only thing she saw was the wrinkled white pillow next to her. Marinette swallowed thickly, her mouth was suddenly very dry. She felt sick.

She almost couldn't believe that he had actually left her there alone. Chat Noir didn't seem like the type to disappear before sunrise after spending the night with the person he claimed to be in love with. Had he panicked and fled? Fleeing didn't sound like Chat Noir either.

To be honest, it was all a bit cold. He had left without saying a word while she was asleep and now Marinette felt like a total idiot. She had expected to find his face nuzzled in the crook of her neck, his arms loosely wrapped around her, a tiny blissful smile playing on his lips as his crazy hair tickled –

She stopped her thoughts before it could get any worse. That had been strangely detailed.

” _What were you thinking_?” Tikki questioned, flying around the room hysterically.

Marinette merely shrugged in response, but in truth she was troubled, bitter even. Emptiness washed over her. Chat Noir had caused her so much stress over the years, would it ever stop?

”Nothing... happened. At least nothing bad.” She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

Tikki looked like she couldn't believe her ears. If the kwami had had hair, she would surely have tried to rip it off.

” _Nothing happened_?” There was an obvious edge to her voice.

Marinette nodded, stiff. Her friend's next words were like a splash of ice-cold water on her face:

” _You're not even wearing your mask_!”

The girl gasped in horror, her hands flying to her face. All that she felt around her eyes was soft skin.

Marinette felt her face drain of blood. The air seemed to escape the room and her lungs. She struggled to breathe as she trembled.

”Oh no”, she barely managed to rasp out of her dry throat when she noticed her small red mask next to her pillow. It must have fallen off her face while she was asleep.

”Nononono...”

It had all been for nothing. She had protected her identity so hard and for so long, all for _nothing_. While she could say that she was lucky it had been her partner who found out and not some stranger, she definitely didn't feel very lucky at the moment.

Marinette was on the verge of bursting into tears so she let her dark hair fall and cover her face. She clenched her fists.

”Did he see my face?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Tikki nodded, her shoulders slumping.

”And...” Marinette wrapped her arms around herself tightly, ”did he recognize me?”

Tikki nodded again but this time a little hesitantly.

Marinette let out a few curse words. So that was the reason why he had left.

An unexpected pang of sadness hit her. Chat Noir knew her identity. He knew Ladybug was Marinette and he had run away from her. He was shocked, possibly disappointed.

Frowning, she shook her head. It made no sense. Chat had met her as Marinette maybe three times, he didn't know her enough to be disappointed. Or had she really given him such a bad first expression?

Then she noticed a second mask on the floor, bigger and darker than hers. The mask was only a copy of the original, but Marinette was sure she would know it anywhere. After all, she had just spent the night staring at the face hidden under the very same mask.

A horrible thought burst into her mind unwanted and without warning. It was like someone had just kicked her first in the stomach and then in the face. Marinette prayed that her speculations were wrong.

Wide-eyed, she rushed to pick up the mask. She shoved it to Tikki's face, breathing hard like she had just run a marathon. Her hand was shaking.

”Did you see Chat Noir's face?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

”I did.”

”Did you recognize him? Do _I_ know him?”

Tikki turned her gaze, guilt clouding her features. ”You know I can't tell you that.”

Marinette froze. The look on her kwami's face told her quite enough.

She knew Chat Noir's civilian self. Chat Noir knew her civilian self when he was his civilian self. He knew, _he knew_.

Panic set in. This could not be possible.

Marinette bit her finger nails. It was time to forget everything people said about ladybugs, they were not lucky creatures. Marinette was a living proof of that.

What had she been thinking indeed? How could she be so stupid, careless, reckless? Her drunk brain had thought that it was a good idea to sleep with Chat, that it was okay because she didn't know his real name, because there was a mask in the way. Her brain had told her that there would be nothing to regret.

Marinette closed her eyes and exhaled long and slow, trying to get her mental breakdown under control. Tikki's glaring wasn't helping.

She brought her trembling fingers to her lips again and familiar warmth flashed through her. The memory of Chat's quiet groans of pleasure almost made her think that this mess was worth it. The way he had softly whimpered beneath her as she gently bit his neck, the shockwaves she had felt when she heard him moan her superhero name as he...

Marinette shook her head violently.

No. Nope. Last night had been nothing but a big mistake.

Still... She had to admit to herself that hearing Chat call her 'my lady' had never sounded so good before.

Marinette groaned and buried her face in her hands. She should never have asked to kiss him, she truly had ruined everything.

”I really messed up this time, didn't I?”

The only answer she got was Tikki's exaggerated sigh.

A sudden explosion caused the building to rock violenty, like a bomb going off, and Marinette automatically jumped to her feet, ready to fight. A distant scream could be heard.

It was her turn to sigh.

Akuma time, yey.

Unfortunately this meant that she would have to face Chat Noir very soon. They always put their duty first, they _had to_ put their duty first, but Marinette wasn't sure if they were ready to see each other yet. She was afraid that this was a mess they would not be able to clean up, not even together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is adored :)
> 
> This is probably full of typos and grammar mistakes, please feel free to correct them!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story (mostly the first chapter) was inspired by Don’t Speak by Far East Movement feat. Tiffany if anyone wants to check that song out :)

It was a bright, chilly January day. There wasn’t any snow yet, but the ground was glittering with frost. All the old buildings created a stunning maze of alleyways and rooftops. Paris looked incredibly beautiful.

Tiredly, Ladybug leaped from rooftop to rooftop, her pigtails dancing wildly with each step. Transformed, she always had a good view of the city, but she had never disliked the scenery this much. She almost wanted to turn around, go home, sleep for a thousand years and just overall avoid everything and everyone.

She turned her face skywards and exhaled nervously. The sky was white and blinding and she had to cover her eyes. The superhero groaned, cursing under her breath. She still had a nasty headache.

The day was about to get even worse when she spotted her partner, who was standing alone on a nearby rooftop, facing the city. Ladybug groaned louder. She really didn’t want to see him right now.

The crystal light of the clear winter morning made Chat's messy golden hair shine so brightly that Ladybug wanted to shield her eyes again. For some reason her partner looked more beautiful than he ever had before, and Ladybug’s heart jumped around in her chest, skipping beats. Her eyes widened when she realized just how screwed she was. The warmth of Chat’s smile had been permanently burned into her soul last night.

Ladybug wanted to run. She wanted to run far away from Chat Noir and Paris and her emotions. At the same time, all she wanted to do was run _to_ him, hug him and tell him exactly how much he really meant to her, tell him about the way her heart lit up with joy whenever she saw him.

 _He left you the moment he learnt about your identity_ , the bitter taste in her mouth reminded. _You need to be ready in case you have to scold him or kick his ass, no matter who he is underneath that mask_.

Chewing her lower lip unconsciously, Ladybug clenched her fists. She shook her head slightly. Akuma first, feelings later.

Chat’s cat ears twitched when she hopped up onto the rusty roof and landed next to him. Shoulders tense, he turned around. Both of their breaths came out in visible puffs, joining the white and grey world around them as they stared at each other. Seeing the evident shame and fear in his green eyes made her feel a little better but it didn’t stop the sickening feeling in her stomach. Because he _knew_ her.

 _She_ knew _him_.

Oh no, oh no, oh –

“Hi, Ma-Ma-my princess!” Chat Noir managed to stammer out. Then his cheeks turned red, eyes widening. “I meant lady! Lady princess! Bug-inette –”

Eyes surprisingly blank, Ladybug held up a hand as she walked past her partner, silencing him. If Chat expected a warm response, he was badly mistaken.

“I know you know”, she told, her tone flat. It was the kind of voice that sent chills creeping up people’s spines. In the past, Ladybug had broken many into a sweat when she had spoken like this, the fearless Chat Noir included.

She watched how he gulped; he knew he was in trouble. She could easily sense his nervousness (or was it panic?) just like he clearly sensed her quiet bitterness.

The akuma roared in the background, and Ladybug exhaled sharply. Judging by its voice, the villain-of-the-week seemed to be some kind of monster or perhaps another gigantic creature that had been declared extinct ages ago. Just great.

Body stiff, Ladybug turned back to her partner who looked just as uncomfortable. Now that she was closer she could see that his eyes were a bit duller than they normally were and _a lot_ duller than they had been last night. Probably for the first time ever, as her eyes moved over his body, Ladybug noticed that she really wondered about his identity.

They _knew_ each other. Just who the hell was he?

“We’ll talk about our... situation later”, she said through gritted teeth. “Right now we have an akuma to catch.”

Mentally preparing herself for the fight, Ladybug spun her yoyo with more force than needed. Chat stared at the earrings in her ears for a moment, hesitating. Then he took a few steps towards her and pulled his baton out of his belt, ready to go.

“Um”, he started, hesitating again for the briefest of seconds. “I need you to know that I have nothing but complete respect and admiration for you.”

Instantly, something inside Ladybug snapped. She froze, dropping her yoyo which then proceeded to bounce a few times on the slippery rooftop. Slowly, _slowly_ , she picked it up. She clenched her fingers tightly around the weapon as Chat patiently waited for her to say something. Finally she whirled to face him, seeing nothing but angry red.

“Actually, you know what?” Her voice was high-pitched and louder than usual. “Let’s talk about it right now.”

The akuma growled again, reminding the heroes of its existence. Ladybug didn’t care.

Chat flinched at her glare, instinctively taking a quick step back and raising both of his hands. Momentarily, Ladybug felt a pang of guilt, remembering the radiant smile he had shown her after the word ‘cute’ had accidentally slipped from her lips. But when she replayed his words in her mind, the guilt was once again replaced by her anger. More red.

“‘Complete respect and admiration’ you say? Don’t make me laugh!”

And then she actually laughed. A dry, humorless chuckle that chilled Chat to the bone. His ears drooped, tail lashing defensively.

“Ladybug –”

“You can’t just disappear like that!” she exclaimed and couldn’t remember a point when she had felt more like screaming until her lungs felt raw. “I don’t know if _you_ were disappointed, but guess who _definitely_ was?”

“Please, let me explain!”

There was frustration in his voice as well, but Ladybug couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. She shook her head.

Chat had already lost his chance to explain. They could have talked about this if he hadn’t fled. Maybe they could have even solved this, together, but now there was only hurt bubbling in her chest. She was furious and upset. Extremely upset.

They were supposed to be partners. While protecting Paris, they had to trust each other with their lives and they had trusted each other last night. She couldn’t believe that Chat had willingly let all of that trust go to waste just because he had realized that they knew each other in real life.

“How dare you”, she pointed an accusatory finger at him and narrowed her eyes dangerously. The boy seemed to shrink under her icy gaze. He was visibly sweating. “How could you do that to me? Do you treat all of your friends this coldly? Is this how you always behave after a one night stand?”

All the hurt she had felt since she woke up was pouring out of her mouth. Her eyes stung, words revealing how much in pain she really was.

Finally Chat blinked his eyes, looking baffled. He swallowed before opening his mouth.

“O-one night stand?” he squeaked quietly. His voice was small but Ladybug could still clearly hear the disappointment in it. It only made her anger grow.

“Yes, a one night stand!” she spit out. “Because if you think I will ever sleep with you again, you are badly mistaken!”

Chat shut his mouth and turned to look at his feet.

At that very moment, Ladybug couldn’t believe that she had actually enjoyed every second of last night. She had enjoyed their conversation, their dance, their kiss and everything that had happened after that. She couldn’t believe that the boy standing in front of her was capable of making such sweet sounds that easily melted her brain. All she had to do was nibble at his neck the right way.

Ladybug scoffed at her own thoughts. She was disappointed in herself that she actually wanted to hear him moan again. Unbelievable. Because the truth was that Chat Noir, her partner, her best friend, out of all people had just coldheartedly walked away after seeing her without the mask.

Ladybug dragged a hand along her face. They knew each other and he was disappointed and maybe she didn’t like his civilian self either, maybe they didn’t get along and oh no, this was a mess...!

Suddenly, her eyes welled up, quicker than she had expected. She turned away so that Chat wouldn’t see. Letting out a shaky sigh, she cursed in her mind. As the hero of Paris she should have been able to handle things like these. She should have been used to the stress and anxiety by now.

But this was different. This was about Chat, about someone she rarely questioned. Her anchor, her lifeline.

Worn out, she sat down on the edge of the roof and hid her face in her hands, letting out a long sigh. Her anger had been surprisingly short lived, the earlier sadness taking control again. She bit her lower lip as hard as she could without drawing blood. Breathing normally was quite difficult when you were holding back tears, she came to realize.

She heard how Chat moved closer.

“Marinette, I...” The rest of the words slid straight back down his throat when she winced.

“Please, don’t”, she pleaded, shaking her head, voice fragile and weak. Hearing him use her real name made her feel even more vulnerable than she already did.

Slowly, Chat knelt beside her. He put a slightly trembling hand on her shoulder, making her finally raise her gaze. He studied her face with a gentle, apologetic look in his eyes that made Ladybug’s heart automatically sigh in relief.

Pursing her lips tightly together, she closed her eyes. She tried her best to ignore the feeling but couldn’t. Her heart fluttered excitedly in her chest, full of devotion and affection. It obviously had a soft spot for him.

Yep, she couldn’t deny it anymore. She loved him, goddamnit. Chat had managed to sneak into her heart despite the walls she had built around it as Ladybug. She was _in_ _love_ with him.

“I didn’t... I didn’t mean to find out.”

Chat’s voice woke her from her thoughts and she opened her eyes to find him nervously playing with his baton, his cat ears drooping. Ladybug felt her heart swell even more.

“I cannot tell you how sorry I truly am. I know I acted with total stupidity when I left, I shouldn’t have, and I completely understand your anger and frustration. I never wanted to hurt you, it was in no way intentional or malicious, I would never purposely do that. I know that my apology doesn’t change the fact that I acted like a complete douchebag, I’m not expecting you to forgive me but... I guess I just panicked a little and...”

He stopped mid sentence when she raised an eyebrow at him. A small grin automatically spread across his lips but didn’t reach his nervous eyes.

“Okay, yeah, I panicked _a lot_ ”, he admitted, cheeks turning slightly pink. “But only because I _know_ you. I knew how important your identity is to you and I just...”

Ladybug was surprised when Chat all of a sudden hung his head in shame, shoulders slumping. His bottom lip quivered and a sob threatened to choke off his apology.

“I made a mistake and I regret it”, he whispered, the word 'mistake’ making her stomach turn. “I’m so sorry, Ladybug.”

There was a short pause as the heroine tried to process Chat’s last words. She sniffed, mouth scrunching into a bitter scowl. She knew that he was just trying to be honest but the words hurt nonetheless.

 _A mistake_.

“No, I get it.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her wrist and got up. “The whole thing was a mistake.”

His head shot up so quickly that she actually shrieked, startled. Chat's eyes glistened, widening. Sadness coloured his expression.

“Do you really think that it was a mistake?”

“What, me? Uuhhh”, she stammered, momentarily taken aback by the question.

( _Chat. Lying on his back. Eyes closed, his mouth forming a small 'o'. And her trembling, excited hands, aching to touch every part of him. Ears drinking all the delicious sounds that she could get out of him_ –)

“I-I meant, um.” She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. ”You just said that you made a mistake when we...”

Before she could continue, Chat raised his hands, interrupting her. A frown rolled over his face, deepening by the second.

“Hold up. That’s not what I meant at all”, he said and shook his head vigorously. “I really am sorry that I found out who you are, but I’m not even going to pretend that I didn’t enjoy last night. Because I did, very much.”

Ladybug tried to suppress an amused snort but failed. “Of course you liked it, I did most of the work anyway. You just sat there and waited for me to give you orders.”

“Hey!”

She couldn’t help it, a quiet giggle escaped her mouth when Chat pouted. Gazing at him with a careful, small smile, Ladybug watched how his expression softened at her warm chuckle. Soon enough he returned the smile, making her heart flutter again.

Just as quickly as it came, Ladybug’s smile faded away. Frustration clawed at her. She still didn’t know who he was.

“So... we know each other, don’t we?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer. “As civilians.”

Chat’s smile fell, too. A tense nod.

Ladybug took a deep breath. “How _well_ do we know each other?“

It took a moment before he replied, the skin around his mask turning red. He looked somewhat shy.

Ladybug’s brows lifted, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips again. Could _Marinette_ really make him blush, too? Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all, the fact that they knew each other outside their suits.

“I... I do think of you as a friend.”

Involuntarily, her racing heart skipped a beat. Then it started to beat a mile a minute. She tried not to show her shock but it was hard to hide.

Friends. They lived in _Paris_ , population: 2 000 000. What were the odds? Had Chat really been this close the whole time? And if so, how blind did that make her, make both of them?

“Alright...” she mumbled, trying to understand everything that was going on. She tried to make sense of her feelings, Chat’s identity, her confused mind, _his_ feelings. It was all a bit fuzzy. “Okay, um, before I find out who you are, there’s something I want to tell y–”

“Do you have to, though?” Chat asked, cutting her off. He looked tense. “To know my identity, I mean. I just... really don’t want you to hate my civilian self, too.”

She almost laughed. “Hate you? Oh, kitty, I don’t hate you. Quite the opposite actually.”

Her eyes moved from his surprised face to his chest, where his heart was. That heart was so precious to her. She wanted to protect it and love it and spend the rest of her life with it.

Ladybug inhaled deeply, her own heartbeat loud in her ears. But her voice was calm. Sure, strong. So sincere that Chat almost fell off the roof.

“I love you. I’m _in_ love with you.”

 _No matter who you are_.

Chat looked stunned, absolutely stunned. His right hand flew to his chest instantly and it looked like he couldn’t breathe properly. He gave her his best look of confusion, gaping openly like he couldn’t believe she had just said those words. He had lost his voice, his heart was in his throat.

Relief flooded Ladybug when she finally saw happiness work its way across Chat’s dumbstruck face. Her whole body relaxed, her expression softening. The joyful glow in his eyes made her smile, too.

“Marinette...” Chat finally got his lips to work again. He sounded breathless.

Ladybug’s heart jumped violently. Her name coming out of his mouth was both terrifying and exciting, but she was sure she could get used to it. Despite everything, he made the name sound lovely.

All of a sudden, shock returned to his face.

“Y-you’re in love with...” Unable to finish, Chat just wildly gestured at himself. “Bu-but are you serious?”

Ladybug smirked at him. “Don’t let it go to your head, kitty.”

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed loudly as he threw both of his hands up in the air, radiant eyes almost popping out. “You’re in love!”

Her smirk only grew. “I am.”

“With me! Holy sh–!”

“Okay, Chat, enough. Now, Mister Mysterious, I think it’s only fair that you, too, share your identity.”

The boy muttered something under his breath, but Ladybug couldn’t hear him. She leaned closer, hoping to catch his real name while also kind of hoping she wouldn’t. The situation was definitely nerve-racking.

To her surprise, Chat started to suddenly bat his eyelashes at her. An overly sweet smile formed on his face.

“Before we get to my identity, could you possibly say it again?”

“Say what again?”

The sweet smile turned so big his cheeks must have hurt. Ladybug playfully nudged him, laughing whole-heartedly. Chat batted his eyelashes some more, dropping his gaze to her lips, but she just shook her head, amused. Finally he gave up, sighing.

 _What a lovesick dork_ , Ladybug thought fondly before taking a deep, deep breath. Because this was it.

“Okay, so. We’re friends in real life.”

Chat hummed happily in response, but she did notice how his body tensed. Was he really that worried about her reaction?

“Um, alright.” She tried not to let his nervousness affect her. “I happen to have a lot of friends. I need more clues, Chat.”

“Oh. We, uh, we used to be in the same class.”

This time it was her eyes that nearly popped out of their places.

“ _What_?” she shrieked in disbelief. “Are you joking? When?”

“Um, in the 9th grade.”

Ladybug quickly went through all of her old classmates in her mind. She swallowed hard. This was suddenly only getting worse and worse. She had received her Miraculous at the age of 15, which meant that she had known Chat ' _Kim-Max-Nino-Adrien-Nathanaël-Ivan_ ’ Noir _this whole time_.

Ladybug groaned. She couldn’t believe she had put herself into this mess. If Alya had been there she would have accused her of falling in love too easily. And she wouldn’t have been wrong.

 _Don't panic_ , she told herself sternly. A second later she realized that she was pulling her own pigtails and had to force her hands to let go of her hair. She coughed, trying not to show that she was close to losing her mind. Judging by the look on Chat’s face, she was quite sure she wasn’t doing a spectacular job.

“I, um, assume that you’re none of the girls?” She let out a pathetic, short laugh while avoiding his eyes and trying to stay calm. She hated how high-pitched her voice suddenly sounded. She wasn’t calm at all. “I just... _Who_? Who are you? You’re not Kim, you’re not Max, you’re not Nino, you’re not –”

And then, as fast as lightning, Ladybug slapped both of her hands to her mouth, struck with horror. Her blood ran cold. Blue eyes widened. The whole world seemed to stop for a very long minute. It was clear that she was beyond terrified.

Chat looked more and more uncomfortable by the second. He stared at his partner silently, stared at her cute freckles that stood out on her now pale face. Ladybug looked like she was ready to either throw up or pass out.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she looked him straight in the eyes, hands clutching her yoyo tightly. “Oh my god.”

Chat swallowed and awkwardly waved at her. “H-hi...”

If possible, her eyes widened even more, her mouth hanging open. “Oh my god”, she chanted, a little louder this time.

“Y-yeah, crazy, right?”

“ _Nino_?”

There was a pause. Everything froze again.

Or more specifically, Chat Noir froze.

The heroine started pacing back and forth in front of him while he stayed still as a statue. She was panicking, the shock in her eyes only growing stronger. He watched as she frantically mumbled to herself (“I can’t be in love with _Nino_!”), but Chat had completely lost the ability to speak.

That was okay, though, he supposed. It wasn’t like he would have even known _what_ to say.

Ladybug turned back to him. “But... you...” She was unconsciously trying to rip out her hair again. “You’re in a _relationship_! And we, last night, oh no, no, no...”

Chat opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Squinting at him, Ladybug felt the familiar anger bubble up inside her. “Why? Why would you, how could you, I knew that I shouldn’t have... I just...”

He wasn’t the only one who struggled with words, apparently.

“I can’t believe I told you I loved you!” she groaned, letting out an irritated huff. “Why didn’t you warn me in time?”

“I am not Nino!” Chat finally cried, frustrated.

It was Ladybug’s turn to shut her mouth. He noticed that the horror didn’t fade from her eyes.

“Jeez, my lady, how did you even come to that conclusion? My hair colour, skin colour, eye colour, nothing matches! Besides, I’m taller than Nino.”

Ladybug felt more tired and lost than she had felt in a long time. She would have still given anything if she could have just gone home and slept the day away. “Then who...”

All of a sudden recognition passed over her face.

Golden hair, radiant green eyes, beautiful sunshine smile that could light up the whole world...

Buried feelings and nearly broken hearts swam to the surface of her mind with unusual clearness. It was like an invisible light bulb had finally appeared above her head. She felt fire rise in her cheeks. The burning was almost painful.

Body trembling, Ladybug stumbled backwards a few steps.

Then she screamed.

Loud.

Chat panicked. Hesitantly, he reached for her. “Ladybug –”

She screamed again, causing him to back down and cover his fake ears. This wasn’t going any smoother.

“ _ADRIEN_?” she screeched, pointing a shaking finger at him. Her voice was so high-pitched that it hurt her own ears, too. “Has it been you the whole time? Oh no, please, say no!“

Chat’s cat ears flattened against his head immediately. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed. After all, this was to be expected. Of course Ladybug didn’t actually return his feelings. Marinette probably hated him now. He was just a loser and a –

“We’ve kissed!” her next horrified gasp stopped his miserable train of thought. “Several times! We-we have been fighting together for years and last night I... Oh my god, _last night_ –”

“Marinette, please –”

“I saw you naked!” she protested, angrily, as if that alone was a reasonable explanation why she was so upset. “And yeah, it was great, you were magnificent and looked as beautiful as ever, but I never thought that you would... that I should... that _we_ could...”

Feeling dizzy, Ladybug turned away, panting heavily as her heart beat erratically. She felt so faint that she had to lean against the chimney to save herself from falling. Slowly, she brought a hand to her forehead.

There were so many things going on all at once, too many things going on _inside_ her. It was hard to connect the dots. Adrien and Chat were both amazing people but they were just, well, so different. She had known them for years, were there really no similarities at all?

Ladybug closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating.

The one trait that they definitely shared was their kindness. Kindness and compassion. Chat and Adrien were both so kind and forgiving, maybe even too forgiving. They fought for what they thought was right. Shared the love for video games and pastries. Now that she thought about it they actually looked very much alike.

In other words, she found them incredibly good-looking.

And they were both so damn important to her.

“ _Iloveyou_ ”, Ladybug blurted out before she could stop herself, before she even had time to open her eyes. She felt a blush quickly working its way up her neck, and her embarrassment only deepened when she saw the look on her partner’s face.

Again, Chat was stunned. Amazed even. But this time disbelief also crossed his features. Ladybug could see doubt in his eyes.

Painfully slow, Chat’s mouth dropped open. “You... You do? Lo-love me? As Adrien?“

Her face was in flames. “Yes, I love Adrien a lot. Truly. Believe me when I say that I don’t even have to pretend. Now can we please, please talk about something else?”

She had been sure that she would never tell Adrien about her long-buried feelings, but, well. Life was full of unexpected surprises indeed. Like the impossible truth that Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste were the same freaking person, _what the hell_. Ladybug shook her head at the absurdity.

Shyly, Chat took a careful step forward. A small but hopeful smile spread across his lips. Ladybug sighed inwardly, relieved that the earlier suspicion had left his eyes.

Her partner – _Adrien Agreste was her Chat Noir oh my god_ – slightly tilted his head to one side. “Would you be surprised if I told you I loved you, too?”

A shiver ran through Ladybug’s whole body, her breath hitching in her throat. Her heart was ready to explode, fly away from her chest, be free. A quiet, joyful laugh left her lips. She couldn’t stop her eyes from welling up with happy tears.

She had been so wrong this morning, jumping to conclusions way too quickly as usual. Lucky, that was what she really was. Clumsy at times? Sure. Awkward? Always. But still lucky, lucky enough to have love and friendship in her life. Have _him_ in her life.

Chat turned to look at his feet, nervously twisting the ring on his finger. “My level of happiness rises to ecstatic when I’m around you. And not just when I’m around Ladybug but Marinette, too. Marinette has saved my day so many times, filled them with happiness and positivity and I can’t thank you enough for being such an amazing friend.”

“We make a good team”, she agreed, taking a big step closer to him, unable to contain her watery smile. The cold January air between them was filled with warm electricity. Ladybug felt light-headed but in a good way. Smitten.

Chat beamed back at her just as brightly, teeth showing and all. “I have loved you for so long and I don’t ever plan to stop”, he whispered when she was close enough.

Without warning, Ladybug grabbed his collar, making the bell ring, and used it to tug her partner forward. The expression on Chat’s face turned into a mixture of surprise, dazed desire and amazement. His eyes told her that he was more than okay with what she was about to do.

So, she tilted her head and pressed their lips together. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chat returned her kiss, gasping when she lightly bit his lower lip. Ladybug smiled into the kiss. The adrenaline rush that came with her newly awakened feelings caused her heart to beat faster. Chat’s eager lips might have also had something to do with her crazy heartbeat.

The way her hands tangled in his messy hair, making a knot of it, caused the boy to hum in pleasure. The adorable, soft noises that came from him almost made her cheeks flush, especially when she remembered who really was underneath the mask.

She tugged at his hair again. The sweet noises got louder, Chat’s hold on her small waist tightening. At that point she knew for sure that she would never get enough of this, enough of him.

The heroes pulled back to breathe, both panting. Breathless and feeling drunk, Ladybug looked up from his lips, her eyes half lidded.

Love struck. That was what Chat looked like. Absolutely love struck. She couldn’t control her huge grin.

Gently, she pulled his collar down, low enough that she could kiss where his collarbones met. Her warm breath against his sensitive skin and the cold air around them made him shiver in the best way possible. Chat instinctively closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Ladybug wasted no time. She kissed his neck softly, nibbling at it carefully, again and again like she had done last night.

Chat moaned.

Finally, Ladybug thought and pulled away, satisfied with the result.

Chat cupped her face almost desperately, crashing his lips hungrily against hers as low groans rumbled in his throat. Letting out a shaky exhale, Ladybug closed her eyes, feeling wonderfully safe and wanted.

A building suddenly crumbled behind them. It collapsed, creating a loud crash sound. Parisians screamed.

Ladybug broke the kiss quickly, holding Chat by the hair to keep him from chasing her lips. His breath came in short pants and his perfect lips were already so red and swollen that she had to bite the inside of her cheek, hard. Oh how badly she wanted to press him up against a wall and kiss him so senseless that he would later struggle to form a coherent sentence. Maybe later, then.

Chat seemed confused for a second, his brows furrowed as he stared at her. The villain growled somewhere in the distance and finally recognition crossed his features.

“The akuma...” he sighed, obviously disappointed.

“The akuma.” Ladybug nodded. It was almost physically painful not to press her lips to his neck and forget everything else. His throat looked like it needed some more attention. “And after the fight is over, we’ll go somewhere private.”

Chat blinked once, twice, three times. Then, slowly, a mischievous grin settled on his face. She liked the sly glimmer in his eyes.

They shared a nod, both grinning.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Buginette.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, I’m just glad that I finally finished this :o 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please, let me know what you thought :)
> 
> This is actually the first reveal that I’ve ever written! Writing it was both interesting and frustrating. I hope they weren't too ooc >.<


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